'That does appeal to me' - Roy Keane makes strong pitch for return to management but Ireland & Man Utd legend says 'it's got to be the right challenge'

The former midfielder had been involved with the Ireland national team from 2013 to 2018, where he was serving as an assistant to Martin O'Neill. Keane has admitted that he enjoyed his stint with the Irish team and expressed his desire to return to international management.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast for Sky Bet, Keane said: "I enjoyed international football when I was a coach there, I like the dynamics of it where you’re not in every day and it’s not about bringing players in and dealing with the board every week."

When pressed on whether he could take up the Ireland head coaching job, he said: "That does appeal to me, I did enjoy the dynamics when I was coaching with the Irish team – that could be an option.”

Keane has also tried his hand at club management, at Sunderland and Ipswich Town. The two stints have made him well-versed in the rigours of coaching and he admitted that leading a club can be an energy-sapping task.

"Not that you’re going to get the Real Madrid job, but it’s got to be the right challenge, the right club, and the right contract," he said. "I’ve had opportunities, but sometimes you get offered a contract and you have to look at it with self-worth, is it the right deal for you? I’d like to go back into management, but I’m not desperate to sign any contract for anybody.

"The off-field stuff, dealing with board members, that is tough. That can sap your energy. Unless you’re at a well-run club, there are those challenges off the pitch. If it was just about working with the team, it would be great.”

Keane also assisted Paul Lambert at Aston Villa in 2014. However, he fell out with several players in the dressing room, which forced him to quit his job within six months. He followed former Ireland boss O’Neill to Nottingham Forest in 2019, too, but quit after five months. Since then, Keane has not taken up any coaching assignments and is currently working as a TV pundit.